Moment and Mission

Tran The Phong has 33 years of photography experience, with many domestic and international awards estimated to be in the hundreds. However, when mentioning the name of this photographer, photography enthusiasts are impressed by his journey during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Remember, when Ho Chi Minh City entered the peak of the epidemic, he was the only photographer who captured many valuable historical moments.

The person who recorded meaningful moments during the pandemic

I remember once sitting with him at a sidewalk cafe in the middle of a windy afternoon in the city. The flow of people and vehicles still flowed tirelessly across the rush hour. Just the two of us sat watching the city and the story of the wandering artist. If there were any statistics, Tran The Phong would definitely be the person who wandered around Saigon the most. He knew every nook and cranny of this city like the back of his hand. Born and raised on this land, more than 50 years of his life attached to the splendid city, Tran The Phong loves this land as his life. Rolling around from the days of his youth when he was infatuated with the city, until now, he has never been bored of taking pictures of Saigon. Because as he himself said, this land has every street corner, every road, every person's fate has a story. Each story is a piece of the puzzle. Putting those pieces together can give us the most accurate overall picture of Saigon.

In this year's Saigon Covid photo book exhibition, Tran The Phong created a deep feeling with 155 photos selected from 6,000 photos he took during 6 months of Saigon's steadfast fight against the pandemic. The exhibition was like a memorial with candles and white flowers. The crowd of people flocked to the exhibition in the afternoon, more and more. Among them were his characters, the soldiers in green shirts, the angels in white shirts... Many people stood rooted to the spot with red eyes looking at each photo capturing unforgettable moments. Tran The Phong also chose a corner for himself, mixed in with the crowd and quietly observed. For him, it is always a quiet moment watching the movement. Movement in the eyes of the artist is life. The photo book was immediately reprinted continuously, because at least for the citizens of this city, it is history, a value that will last forever after going through the ups and downs of life, someone wants to look back. It seems that from the midst of danger there is always rebirth and love.

What impressed me the most was the photo of loaves of bread hanging in front of people's houses. Simple composition, just enough light and extremely natural background, but it is a reminder of a time when bread hanging on doors saved hungry citizens when the city was locked down. Bread is everywhere in Saigon, you can see a bread cart on every corner. From ordinary workers to high-income earners, bread is still "addicted" to it, as if not eating it for a week makes them crave it in their mouths. Bread hanging on doors during the pandemic is a reminder that Saigon is always warm and humane, always thoughtful and dedicated.

Saigon is still very present in his photography process. That is the moment when the city is back to work, the people of an alley are happy when the blockade order is lifted, the barbed wire fence is removed. The image of green-shirted volunteers going back and forth through the small alleys to distribute vegetables to the people of Saigon. That is also the smile of a toothless old lady, the corners of her pleated eyes showing crow's feet, in front of her porch watching the city revive after the quiet days. Saigon in Tran The Phong is a life. From the camera angle of this wandering artist, Saigon is simple, rustic but the closest. Except for being a photojournalist, Tran The Phong is also a child of Saigon, so taking photos of Saigon means taking photos with all the love, nostalgia and bitterness for the past of time that overshadows the bustling pace of life. Many people who admire his photos have the same comment summed up in just one word: "Love". It is love that gives his photos their soul so that viewers always feel a sense of harmony and sympathy from his photos.

Photography creates bridges

Over 17 exhibitions in his career as a photographer, along with a series of prestigious awards such as 12 times winning the national excellence award (HNSNA.VN), 15 times winning the national press photo award, 1 grand prix in Japan, 3 times winning the Gold Medal - Trierenberg Super Circuit (Austria), 5 times winning the Asahi Shimbun Medal (Japan)... However, when talking about the award, Tran The Phong just smiled gently: "Personally, the most impressive award is when I see my projects and photographic works reach the hearts of the public, leaving many emotions and bringing usefulness to life. That is the prestigious and impressive award for a true artist".

Tran The Phong is like that, very gentle, thoughtful and always thinks about everything in a peaceful state of mind. Even those who meet him for the first time can easily see that his face exudes a sincere and simple look. The photographers in Ho Chi Minh City always mention that he has been a vegetarian for decades. Occasionally, during photo shoots, events or meetings, he still quietly prepares his own vegetarian dishes so as not to bother anyone. Even during the epidemic season, going out at dawn with anti-epidemic or volunteer groups to take photos and send them to the editorial office, he still prepares his own bread and water to take care of his meals.

Sometimes, when he passed by small alleys or streets and saw homeless or needy people, the food he prepared was shared with everyone. When the food ran out, he gave them some money. That was it, then he left quickly with a cheerful heart. He said that at that time, he wanted to help everyone, giving whatever he had in his pocket. Not having anything to give made his heart ache. He is also one of the few photographers in Saigon who always shares his kindness with many difficult lives. Tran The Phong gave to everyone he met, giving freely and innocently with everything he had without ever telling anyone.

Taking photos with him is a chance to meet and connect bridges, as he shared: “When I was a child, I sometimes followed the fate of lives changed by stories and images published in magazines and newspapers… I secretly thought that a photo could change the life and fate of a photographer or a character in the photo. For example, “Napalm Baby” by photojournalist Nick Ut and the character Phan Thi Kim Phuc… Combined with my love of freedom, photography came to me as a fate, a career, a profession to make a living and be my own master. I hope and hope that my images will bring useful things to society in the future.”

Photographer Tran The Phong gives gifts to the needy.

Perhaps the fate of photography has extended the love that he has for this life. People in the industry still say that he must be a rich man, sometimes not knowing where the money comes from, but silently helping the poor or those in need on the road he meets. I once asked him this question directly. He smiled and said that he was not rich, just lucky that his family was stable, his job was enough to support himself, the prize money from his award-winning photos he considered a blessing from heaven, he shared it with the needy as the heart of the people of Saigon for this land. The land of Saigon has been generous and righteous for many years. He has absorbed that blood into himself all his life, so helping this person, sharing with that person, is actually a common thing in life between people.

Photography is the bridge that connects emotions, connects people and spreads love everywhere. For Tran The Phong, from photos, stories naturally carry a meaningful mission in life.